Shades of Gray
by Arynnl
Summary: When one of the three friends betrays the others and becomes a Deatheater, what will the shocked magical community at Hogwarts do? Hoe do the friends cope? How does the family cope? More importantly, how does the traitor cope? If they're a traitor at all!
1. My Sweet Benedict Arnold

I do not own Harry Potter, J.K.Rowling does; I just happen to have a big imagination and a lot of time on my hands. Scary Combination, isn't it?  
  
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   
  
--- --- Two Years Ago --- ---   
  
A young man sat in a chair with his head bowed, sighing heavily into his arms as an older man spoke to him gently.  
  
"You understand that once you do this, everyone will hate you. People will curse you, your friends and family disown you. Your only support will be from the teacher that you hate, but I feel that you will get past a petty classroom grudge during the time ahead."  
  
The young man looked up and smiled wanly, obviously frightened by the future. "It has to be me. No one else can do it. It makes the most sense to everyone. I just wish the others could know..."  
  
Another man in the room wheeled sharply, saying, "No one must know! If the slightest word gets out to anyone besides Sirius, He'll know about it. You must not say anything to anyone."   
  
The man softened a little, seeing the nervous youth try to get his hands to stop shaking, "Listen, I'll try and help you in every way I can. In the beginning He won't notice you, but because of who you are, he'll eventually see how useful you are. You'll get the attention you have always craved, but you MUST not let that get to you or-"  
  
The boy interrupted angrily, "I won't betray our cause, its true that I wanted attention but I wouldn't risk the safety of the entire world for it!"  
  
The other man stood humbled, "I'm sorry, I have seen too much, and I had to warn you."  
  
The young man got off his chair and put a cloak on, then took it off, "Old habit." he offered in explanation before changing into a red tailed hawk.  
  
The other man turned into a crow and the oldest man opened a window, the pair flew out.  
  
The old man was alone in a room except for a brilliant phoenix in the corner, he mumbled under his breath, "Fawkes, take a good look, there aren't many as brave as those two."  
  
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ---  
  
--- --- Two Years Later --- ---  
  
Ragged breathing escaped the man's throat as he ran harder than he had ever run in his entire life. Everything hurt.   
  
He was bleeding heavily from his head and every step became harder and harder to take. Eventually his pain had been taken away by the sheer adrenaline surging through his veins.  
  
Seeing a sharp cliff in the distance, he ran the faster to it, hearing curses shrieked out behind him.  
  
He zig zagged and ran all over, weaving to avoid being hit by the curses thrown at him by the growing crowd of Deatheaters following in hot pursuit.  
  
Finally he reached the cliff edge. He stared down at it before turning around. The pain coursed through him as though in revenge for ignoring it.  
  
'It only hurts when you stop.' He thought grimly, gritting his teeth in the struggle to keep his legs from collapsing underneath him.   
  
Suddenly all the curses stopped as a single form walked through the fog; the man stared evenly at the nightmare who had wreaked havoc throughout both magical and Muggle worlds.  
  
The figure's eyes were narrow slits as he glared at the only man who had successfully betrayed him for such a long period of time.  
  
"You had my trust. You were the most highly regarded of. The most loyal, most eager to please, most useful to me. Yet you threw it all away to be loyal to them." The creature spat out.  
  
The man held his own, "I did because evil won't win! You'll never win, I won't allow it! You've weakened, you've told me yourself!" The man smirked.  
  
The other man flared his nostrils in rage, "A nice sentiment but it will inevitably prove untrue. But why? What do they have that I didn't? We had so much in common!"  
  
The man backed up to the very edge of the cliff, "They have everything!"   
  
Saying this, the young man jumped off the cliff, the other man shrieked and rushed to the edge of the cliff, searching the fog for his deceitful right hand man.  
  
Unnoticed a single hawk flew desperately through the fog, trying to gain every second of advantage.  
  
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---  
  
Madam Pomfrey bustled around her charges in the hospital wing; since You-Know-Who had risen again, Hogwarts was being used as a base to plan out attacks.  
  
Since then, the hospital wing had a tendancy to be full with many injured people, much to Poppy's dismay.  
  
Right now, she was giving Ginny Weasley a tall glass of water and several chocolate frogs.   
  
Ginny had been hurt severely in a recent battle, Harry was beside her bed almost every single minute, at the moment he had gone away to find the Weasley twins.  
  
Fred and George.... they had brought hope and laughter to these hard times. With their youthful enthusiasm and grim determinaton, they were invaluable to the resistance effort. They were rays of light cutting through dark times and had stayed mischievious and hopeful throughout it.  
  
Ginny sat up a little before wincing and settling back into her pillow. She gazed out the window directly opposite from her bed.  
  
"Oh look! Madam Pomfrey, a red tailed hawk, that was Ron's favorite bird before...."  
  
Poppy looked up and patted Ginny's hand saying, "I'm sorry dear, we didn't know he'd turn out badly."Catching Madam Pomfrey's eye, Ginny said icily, "My brother did not turn out badly, he will come back to us."  
  
Ginny had taked Ron's betrayal stubbornly. She refused to believe that he would just become a Deatheater for no reason, and had Harry and those who cared for her unsure whether to encourage or discourage it.  
  
Ginny looked up again saying unsteadily, "M-madam? That bird is flying awfully fast for that direction that it's going. It looks like it's going to hit the window!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey looked up and saw the bird no more than fifty feet and closing in fast.  
  
Professor Dumbledore ran into the room with a wild look about it him commanding, "Poppy! Open that window and let that red tailed hawk in!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey stood flabbergasted and Dumbledore ran to the window throwing it open at the exact second the hawk burst through it.  
  
It launched its way to a vacant bed; upon impact the hawk was no longer a hawk.  
  
There, lying face down and unconcious on the bed, was Ron Weasley, battered and bleeding in disheveled and torn clothing.  
  
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---  
  
Well thats the first chapter, tell me what you think and that means I'd like you to review.  
  
I've never hassled the readers to review before but I'm hardly getting any reviews at all and it would be nice to get them.  
  
Oh yeah! I just turned 16!!!!!!  
  
Happy Birthday to me!  
  
~Arynnl~ 


	2. The Retun of the Jedi, er Weasley

Well here I am, sorry for the wait. I've been having an awesome summer!  
I went to France and Canada, (best of both worlds considering I'm 1/8th French Canadian ;-)   
I've had no time to write at all, but I will be updating regularly once school starts and all. I really like this story!   
  
ANNOUNCEMENTS: I'M FINALLY AN UPPERCLASSMEN!!! I'm terribly excited!  
  
Now on to the story!  
--------------------------------  
  
  
Harry and Hermione walked into the hospital wing to visit Ginny. They looked up and froze at the   
scene: Ginny staring at the cot beside her, Madam Pomfrey leaning against the wall watching the cot with   
wide eyes, and Dumbledore looking on with an unreadable expression on his face. Lying on the bed was none   
other than Ron Weasley! Hermione gasped and dropped the copy of Witch's Weekly she had brought over to   
cheer Ginny up. Dumbledore finally noticed their entrance and sighed, "Oh dear." Pointing his wand at the   
door, he closed it before turning his gaze to Harry and Hermione. Harry's eyes narrowed, promising green   
murder on Ron. Dumbledore cleared his throat and Harry looked up at his old schoolmaster.  
  
"I suppose, Harry, that you would like to thrash Mr. Weasley, wouldn't you."  
  
"I'll do more than thrash him, Pr, er Albus. I'll take the traitor's world apart!"  
  
Dumbledore nodded gravely, though his eyes were dancing as he replied,  
  
"Before you do that, I think that there are a few things I should tell you about Mr. Weasley. Is that all right with you?"  
  
Harry nodded briefly before eyeing Ron again. Hermione just locked eyes with Ginny, silently expressing her   
surprise at seeing her traitorous fiancee.  
  
"In your seventh the year, as well you know, the inactivity of Voldermort's forces had worn off and   
  
they started to attack. It became necessary to have a spy-"  
  
"Snape." Harry interrupted.  
  
"Yes, Harry, Professor Snape left to infiltrate the Deatheaters. However, he did not go alone. We  
needed one more person Harry, to ensure Severus' safety and to increase our information intake. Somehow,   
Ron caught wind of the idea. He met with me privately, and told me he'd go with Professor Snape. I   
immediately refused but he proved to me how convenient it would be and how he could gain Voldemort's trust  
better than Snape. He became a spy for us and provided us with brilliant information. Tactics, places-"  
  
Hermione interrupted, "They were all Ron's, weren't they Professor."  
  
Dumbledore nodded as she continued.  
  
"It makes so much sense now. Ron always was good at strategy. He became Voldemort's right hand  
  
man, so to speak. He provided excellent tactics for Voldemort and then would send you ones that were even   
  
better. He's helped us win each time, hasn't he? He told us how to drive out the band of Deatheaters at Godric's   
Hollow and at Hogsmeade. But what happened with the conflict here last week? They almost won!"  
  
Dumbledore closed his eyes and replied, "Alas, I do not know. I assume that Ron had given his   
  
strategy to Voldemort but I never recieved counter tactics. I met Sybil, er, Professor Trelawney, on the stairs  
  
several minutes before he came. She related a premonition she'd had concerning a red-tailed hawk and the   
hospital wing. I rushed here in time to prevent his collision with the window. I believe Voldemort has found   
out about our hoax and as to where Professor Snape is, I have no idea."  
  
" 's dead." came a hoarse whisper.  
  
They all turned to face Ron, ghastly pale and feverish, sitting up in the bed.  
  
"What?" Harry said.  
  
" 's dead." replied Ron as he raised his voice. "He's dead and it's all my fault."  
  
  
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dont worry I'm not leaving you hanging! - arynnl  
  
  
  
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Hermione and Harry stared at each other before rushing to the bed Ron was lying on, stammering  
apologies. Hermione burst into tears because she had doubted Ron. She hugged him tightly to her, feeling him   
shake under her embrace. Both Harry and Dumbledore noted Ron's flinch at being touched; this was probably   
the first non-violent contact he'd had with anyone in a long time.  
  
Suddenly Hermione and Ron's romantic moment was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey falling to the   
ground in a dead faint. Dumbledore saw to the good lady as Ron was smother by his friends and little sister.  
He had been craving this moment since he had first become a "Deatheater". A lone tear slid down his dirty face.  
Ron then opened his eyes, now hard with resolve. He gently unentangled himself and stood, leaning against the wall for support. Madam Pomfrey had finally revived making it five pairs of eyes following his every move.  
  
Ron's legs trembled from exhaustion and his eyes were feverish; one of his arms hung at an odd   
angle to his almost emaciated form.   
  
"Ron, what's the matter?", Ginny asked in a worried voice.   
  
He answered raspily, "I can't stay here. Its too dangerous. I'm leaving now. He's following me closely  
  
and I don't want to endanger anyone that I care about."  
  
His eyes lingered on Hermione before focusing on the door.  
  
Harry, Ginny and Hermione were floored by his statement and all three stared unblinking.   
  
Dumbledore, however, slowly got between Ron and the door. Noticing too late, Ron panicked and instinctively  
  
drew his wand.   
  
"Professor, please move. or, or I'll have to make you. He's going to come here! And then, then they'll  
  
all die! And I can't let that happen! I, I won't let that happen!"   
  
Dumbledore locked eyes with Harry, behind Ron. Ron saw this but again too late; he turned only to be stuck   
  
down by a sleeping spell.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
  
well that's all for this chapter. hope you enjoyed it!  
all suggestions, flames and questions welcome.  
  
---  
  
~arynnl  
  
--- 


	3. The Weasleys

-_-_-_-  
  
  
Albus Dumbledore's soft voice floated magically through the corridors and hallways in Hogwarts, "Would the entire Weasley family please report to the Hospital Wing at once. Thank you."  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
Molly Weasley looked at her husband Arthur, worry wretched in deep wrinkles on her face; wrinkles she hadn't had before Voldemort's return and their youngest son's betrayal.  
  
Their eyes met and they whispered, "Ginny!" at the same time before running to the Hospital Wing as fast as they could.   
  
On the way they met up with Fred, George, and Percy. All five Weasleys ignored the looks they recieved from other wizards as they sprinted desperately. When they got there Bill and Charlie were struggling with the door, which was locked.   
  
Bill finally stopped trying to open it as he said urgently, "Professor, we're all here, can you please open this confounded door?"  
  
Dumbledore wasn't going to open it yet, "Is there anyone else with you?"  
  
Confusion abounded between the members of the family before Arthur replied, "Er, no sir. I mean Albus. Umm... its just we were all a bit worried about Ginny and its just we were anxious to see her, sorry if Bill sounded too forward."  
  
This time the door sprang open obediently as Charlie turned the knob. All seven Weasleys cautiously entered the room and were surprised at what they saw.  
  
Albus Dumbledore calmly sitting in a chair next to an open window, amusement easily read in his sky blue eyes.   
  
Harry in between a sobbing Ginny and a weeping Hermione, looking unsure about how to comfort them at the same time.   
  
The Weasleys were about to rush towards Ginny but a single raised hand checked them.  
  
"She's fine but I think you might want to see whats behind that curtain."  
  
By now the Weasleys were now adequately mystified and more than one wondered if Albus was one player short of a Quidditch team.   
  
Percy finally took the initiative to pull back the curtain and gasped at who was lying on the bed.   
  
His gasp was echoed by his parents and concious brothers.   
  
Arthur's mouth moved but nothing came out, his gaze rotated between Dumbledore and his son Ron. One of his arms was around his mournful wife, the other hung limply at his side.   
  
Dumbledore again raised his hand to stop the oncoming barrage of questions.   
  
"Hermione would you be so kind as to tell them what I just told you?"  
  
Hermione looked up from Harry's shoulder, she simply nodded and wiped her swollen eyes.  
  
"Well in Ron's seventh year..."  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
By the end of Hermione's narrative the entire Weasley family excluding Ginny who had cried herself to sleep in Harry's arms, was clustered around Ron. Of all the Weasleys, Molly had taken it worse. She refused to look at her son, ashamed of herself that she would believe he betrayed them.  
  
Arthur let her run out of the room, knowing she needed time alone. He was stroking his son's hand and whispering snatched of a lullaby he had sung to all his children when they were babies.  
  
"You see, I love you so.  
And all the shadows of the night   
will never worry you,   
I'll be there with you  
as long as you need me to."  
  
Bill and Charlie who had been crying openly, unashamed of the emotions only of their assumption, looked up at the familiar tune. Slowly they began to sing the song with their dad.  
  
"And all the monsters in your closet  
will never bother us  
We'll be together   
and have each other.  
To comfort as long as you need us to."  
  
Finally, a little more bashfully than the three oldest Weasley men, Fred, George and Percy joined in on the last verse.  
  
"And if ever you're alone  
with no friend to your name  
we will be together   
and trust one another   
for as long as you need us to."  
  
This only brought more tears as they felt they had broken their promise in the last part of the song. Harry had watched the whole thing sadly as he saw the love in the family. Not for the last time he found himself wishing for his own.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
  
The sleeping spell was wearing off rapidly and Ron began to bite his lip in his sleep so hard he drew blood. Poppy, who had been listening to the bittersweet song, remembered her work when she saw Ron pound his bed to express his pain.  
  
She didn't have the heart to send them away but she did ask them to move a little so she could start treating him.  
  
She bustled around the room, setting his arm and fixing his major wounds. He had been beaten obviously by the blood which was seeping through his shirt.  
  
"Will two of you help turn him over, please? I need to see his back."   
  
Normally she would have just levitated him but with the number of people she had had to treat of late she was too tired, much like everyone else. Chocolate was being eaten by the tonnes at Hogwarts because the fighting was continuous even if actual battles didn't take place. Sleep was a rare thing nowadays.  
  
Fred and George stepped forward and gently turned him on his stomach. Poppy carefully pulled up his shirt to reveal a horrific spectacle.  
  
His back resembled the King's Cross Station. Lash marks were etched all over his back, and were still bleeding, a bad sign. The few that were dry had been reopened his shirt being lifted up. The blood was oozing out slowly, meaning that he had lost a lot of blood in the past day or two. It did explain his pale complexion and fever.  
  
There were other marks than the whip, he had had various curses placed on him, and heavy objects thrown at him, objects like rocks and planks of wood, judging by the splinters still in parts of his back.   
  
Worst of all were the ugly black bruises all over his sides and leading to his front, he had had ribs broken and cracked.  
  
Mrs. Weasley chose the absolute wrong time to come back in. Hey puffy green eyes stared at the wreck of her son's back and she burst into tears.  
  
Percy got up and hugged his mother, to comfort himself as well as her.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione had all been kicked out of the room because Poppy didn't want them to see anything else. If Ron's back was that bad the rest of him was probably worse.  
  
The door opened and the small camp of people looked up to see Madam Pomfrey's set face. This was the face she used in very bad cases.  
  
"Ronald is in a bad way. I need two maybe even three volunteers."  
  
Percy stated evenly, "I can do it."  
  
"Let us! We're strong and able!" chorused Fred and George.  
  
"Shh! I don't want him woken up by this hubbub, kindly allow me to finish." She looked around to make sure everyone listened, "He's lost dangerous amounts of blood and we're going to need to do a transfusion. There's simply too much lost and there's nothing I can do about it magically, its a natural thing. His body needs to make more blood cells and the only thing I can do about it is to slightly help speed up the process. If he doesn't get blood soon he won't make it. Secondly I'm tired to the bone. I haven't yet completely healed him. He's still got some broken ribs and his fever and concussion. I need more magic simple as that. I've eaten some chocolate but its not enough. One of you has to let me use your magic to sustain me."  
  
This time there were no questions.   
  
Poppy quickly muttered a spell and letters appeared hovering over each person's head. Each letter was the color of the person's eyes. Harry's stood out as an emerald 'B' and Hermione's a brown 'AB'. Most of the Weasley's was the same.   
Poppy finally saw Fred and George's blue 'O's and stopped in front of them.  
  
"It's a good thing he has so many brothers to help him. I'll use the two of you so he can get more blood faster."  
  
Ginny cried out, "No! I want to be the one to give blood! I've got O too!"  
  
Madam shook her head, "No, dear. You should be abed still!"  
  
Harry stepped forward, "I'd like to give you my magic. So you can finish healing Ron."  
  
Madam closed her eyes for a moment while pressing the tip of her wand to Harry's forehead, between his eyes. Sweat built up immediately, an unconcious reaction from the last time that Harry had had a wand in that area.  
  
Reopening her eyes, she nodded curtly at Harry and motioned him, Fred and George into the room.  
  
Arthur tapped her shoulder quickly before she went back into the room.  
  
"Just one more thing, Poppy. Umm... how do we get these letters off our head?" He pointed to the large brown 'A' followed him persistantly.  
  
Poppy said,"Oh right. Finite Incantate."  
  
The letters dissolves as the hospital wing's door closed tightly.  
  
Now they only had to wait.  
  
-_-_-_-  
  
been a while!  
  
-arynnl 


End file.
